“What is the difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph? Cite an example of each.”

Kathy wrote: An autotroph is any organism that can make its own food from inorganic substances like light or chemical energy. Some examples of autotrophs are algae (through photosynthesis) and some bacteria (through chemosynthesis). By contrast, heterotrophs cannot create their own nutrition and therefore depend on other organisms for their sustenance. Humans are one example. We consume other plant and animal material. Another example is mistletoe, which is a parasitic plant living off of a host plant.

Kathy sat back and glanced at the clock on the auditorium wall. With ten minutes left, she spent the remainder of her testing time re-checking her answers and making sure everything was legible.

When the buzzer rang on the professor’s lectern, she placed her test packet on the table at the front, feeling very confident about her answers.

As she filed out of the auditorium with the other students, she turned her phone back on. During the exam she’d received a text from her mom. Call home.

Kathy found a quiet spot outside the building and dialed her home number.

“Hi, Mom. You wanted me to call?”

“Honey, I was wondering when you’d be finished with all your midterms.”

Kathy’s heart beat faster as she sensed the tension in her mom’s voice. “I just finished my last one. What’s wrong?”

The line was silent for a second, and for the first time Kathy could remember, Mom’s voice cracked. “Oh honey, it’s your father. He’s really sick and he’s refusing treatment. I was hoping you could come home and see if you could talk some sense into him.”

Tears sprang to Kathy’s eyes. Dad? Really sick?

“Of course, Mom. I’ll call the airline right away and see if I can take an earlier flight. Mom…” Kathy gulped, trying to clear the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. “What’s wrong with him?”

Mom sniffed and cleared her throat, and for a few seconds, there was silence on the line. And then she just blurted it out. “It’s cancer. Oh, Kathy, I’m afraid it’s really bad.”

Kathy sprinted toward the dorms. “I’ll be there tonight.”

Chapter Twelve

It was Saturday night, and Juan found himself sitting in the director’s office. He hadn’t even had a chance to check into a hotel; when he got off the flight, there had been yet another driver waiting for him, and he was driven straight here.

And then Winslow had told him something he still couldn’t wrap his head around.

“Someone’s using my algorithm to create new species of animals?”